


Beating Time

by lazy_bird



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Any time of AU, Gigolas - Freeform, Lord Of The Rings AU, Lord of the Rings, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-08 05:23:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18888037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazy_bird/pseuds/lazy_bird
Summary: Gimli is a time traveler.Legolas is an immortal Elf.Still, Time is a big factor in their lives.Can they beat it?





	Beating Time

**Author's Note:**

> First fic of the series is for Anon who asked:
> 
> "Gigolas au: Gimli is a time traveler, if he stays in one place for long, he will begin to solidify in that timeline, eventually disappear, in the rules of this time travel, time can become aware of when its rules are being broken. He jumps from place to place. the one constant in his life is the immortal elf, Legolas. Since he's immortal, he resides in most timelines. Gimli always finds Legolas when he travels, sometimes Legolas remembers him sometimes he doesn't but they always find each other."
> 
> I hope you like it.

The year was 2019. 

A blonde man sat outside of a café, his leg crossed and his slender finger caressed the rim of the coffee cup as he counted the seconds. The pop music and the laughter of girls as they crossed the streets were being pushed into white noise as a man sat in front of him. 

“Legolas,” 

“Father,” he continued caressing the rim. 

“Stop this,” no response. “This is madness.” when his son didn’t look up, Thranduil pressed his hand over his son’s stopping him from continuing counting. “Look at me,” he pleaded.  

“I need to wait,” 

“Waiting is what you have been doing for years!” a strand of silver blonde hair dropped over his shoulder revealing his pointy ears. 

His tone of voice stopped the waiter from asking what he wanted to order. The hobbit girl didn’t know where to look. Then Legolas looked at her and told her to bring a cup of ginger tea.  

“Your concern for how I spent my limitless years is quite surprising,”  

“This is not a healthy way of living, Legolas.” 

“Why are you worried now?” he continued counting. 

“Because... Because I don’t know what I would do if you suddenly lose him. I don’t want to see you grieving.” Legolas’ eye shifted to him sharply. 

“You will not scare me,”  

“I didn’t raise such a selfish child.” 

“I’ve stopped being a child two hundred years ago, father.  

“You’re barely an adult—” 

“Now, if you would be so kind to leave, I am expecting someone.”  

Thranduil looked at his son for a second and without saying anything, stood up and left.  

“Oh, he left without his tea,” said the waitress and she placed the cup down.  

“Don’t worry, the tea is not for him, thank you.” 

A minute to the dot a short man in his late forties pulled the chair and sat. Legolas’ heart beat faster as his eyes landed on him. The man grabbed the teacup and took a sip. 

“You remembered.” 

“How could I forget?” a smile appeared on the ragged man. A sad one. “You seemed older.” 

“Aye. Took me a while to get here. But don’t worry, you will see me again, a bit younger. Maybe not soon but you will.” but Legolas didn’t want to wait. He wanted him right now. 

Also, it broke Legolas’ heart to see him so... faded.  

“Gimli...” Legolas was fighting his very best to fight his desires. To ask him to stay a little longer, to walk with him through the city streets, to dance with him, to just be together like old times. 

But Gimli interrupted.  

“I apologize for my appearance. I should’ve made an effort but I didn’t want to be late.”  

Legolas’ hand went for Gimli’s cheek, his fingers caressing the coarse red beard. Such touch made Gimli close his eyes, his expression lines deepening and basking on the warmth of his love. A shaky rough and big hand was placed on his lover’s hand and kissed the inside of the palm. 

“When will I see you again?” asked Legolas’ in a soft voice. “How much time do we have together?” 

“A week,”  

“A week?! That’s less than before!” Gimli wouldn’t meet his eyes. “What is happening, Gimli?”  

“... Legolas...” he looked so, so tired... “The more I travel, the less time I have.” 

“What? Why didn’t you tell me this before?” 

“I wasn’t sure before, but it seems that Time doesn’t like when I bend the rules. This is them punishing me.” 

“What are you talking about?” 

A deep sigh escaped from Gimli’s lips. 

“I can’t stay in one place for a long period of time, love. When I was younger,” a smirked appeared on his face, remembering a time that Legolas has yet to experience, “I tried something. I would travel a day into the future to be with you...” then the smile disappeared. “I thought I was being smart but I was just being a desperate fool,” 

“What happened?” 

“I was visited by Time once and they showed me my inevitable future if I continued with my plan. They told me that I could continue with this path and disappear or I could travel back and forth, securing my life for as long as possible. I chose you. So, they limit my traveling with severe consequences.” 

Legolas leaned back, his father’s word echoing in his mind. 

“You’re going to die...”  

Gimli gave a small smile.  

“I was always going to die, love. My body is not made for time travel and the older I get the less into the future I can go. There is a point where magic can’t protect me in a place where I shouldn’t exist. Not even for a stubborn dwarf.” 

Tears rolled down from Legolas’ face.  

“What about the past...” 

“I can’t be in two places at once, it doesn’t matter where and when. Part of the punishment, like I said. Right now, this is my present and another me can’t be here. I’ve already been here yesterday we just didn’t know it—” 

“But time is infinite... how can you be in many places in time if you are not?” 

Gimli shrugged.  

“I don’t make the rules.” 

Then Legolas realized something, a shaky breath escaping his lips. 

“You came to say goodbye.” 

“ _I_ came to see you one last time but there is always going to be me.” 

“Please... do not leave me...” 

“You will always have me, just not this  _me_.” 

Legolas slammed his hands on the table. 

“But there will be a moment in time where you won’t exist!”  

The table next to them jerked from the sudden loud tone of voice. Gimli apologized for him and looked at Legolas. 

“Love of my life, you will eventually forget me.” 

Legolas stood up in anger.  

“How dare you! How dare you say something like that!” 

“Legolas, calm down.” 

But Legolas was not having it. How dare he question his memory? How dare he question his love for him when all he has ever done was wait and wait for him. Just because Legolas was an immortal doesn’t mean that he can just waste time like that. 

“Wait!” Gimli ran after him, as much as his short legs could. “Listen to me!” 

Legolas stopped and looked back, his eyes shining with fresh tears.  

“Do you doubt my love for you?” Gimli shook his head, panting. He really wasn't as young as he used to be. 

“No, never. I am not saying that your love isn’t real or that it’s fickle. But, there will be a time when you will be over your grief and realize that time stops for no one. And I wouldn’t want it any other way.” 

“How can you possibly know this?” Gimli grabbed Legolas’ hand gently and looked up. 

“Follow me,” 

 

Gimli chose this time and place because he needed to show Legolas something.  

He wanted to show Legolas where their love stopped abruptly and where it started.  

Outside of the city, in the depths of the forest, Gimli showed Legolas a place. 

“Since I chose you, there was a time where I didn’t time traveled as much so there are still places where I can go but at this point, I don’t want to go to a place where you are not in it. You are my reason to keep living but I am so... so tired, Legolas.” 

They stopped walking for a moment. The birds were singing, the light hit their skin in patches, the wind caressed their hair almost as a ceremony. 

“Forgive me for giving up but...” then Gimli staggered. Legolas gasped and grabbed his arm and realized it was hard.  

He pushed back his sleeve and saw that it had solidified into stone.  

“What is happening to you?” he whispered. 

“I’m sorry... I lied. I don’t have a week. I have hours. I just didn’t want to anger you.” 

“You need to leave now! And come back to me! Go back or go forwards I don’t care but I will be here waiting!” Legolas kept crying until his knees hit the soft earth, his strength giving up. 

“I will but I will not come back. Come, stand up and fallow me.” 

When they arrived, Legolas wanted to scream in horror.  

There, there was a statue of Gimli, covered in vines and flowers, sitting and smiling. Smoothed by the elements he was exposed to. There were a few birds on his shoulders and a deer ran away when it saw the two men as it was sleeping next to it. 

“This is where I am going.” Legolas placed his hands over his mouth to try to control his sobs. 

“How can you so calm...?” 

“I have accepted my fate, love. I chose this place because this was the place, I fell in love with you.” 

“What are you talking about?” 

A warm smile spread across his face.  

“You’ll know. I have to leave.” 

"Isn't there another way?" 

"I have to disappear in order for me to continue time traveling... to you."

“Wait...” Legolas grabbed his hand and sat on the earth. “Hug me one last time.” 

Gimli chuckled and kneeled and hugged him tightly. 

“It will not be the last time. It will never be the last time.” he could feel Legolas’ body trembling and took a lot of effort for him not to succumb into sadness. “It’s time,” Legolas shook his head. “You’ll be seeing me; I promise you that.” 

And with that Legolas sat there, sobbing, alone.   

He crawled over the statue, barely recognizable and hugged it. Tears wet the stone as they kept pouring down. Legolas promised himself to never forget Gimli. He didn’t care if Gimli told him that it was going to happen, this was an Elf’s promise and they never break their promises on purpose.  

Legolas also cursed time. What’s the point in living forever when he can’t be with the person that he loves? 

Suddenly Legolas heard a twig snap and he felt himself being watched. He looked around a bit panicky. He was supposed to be alone... 

Then he gasped. 

“Gimli?” he whispered. A sudden hope filled his heart and he stood up, cleaning his face. 

But no one answered. Only the rustling of leaves. 

 

A thousand years passed and the world changed. It wasn’t the same.  

The technology was everywhere. There were cities in the sky, under the sea and in the mountains—it was the epitome of the 30th centuries.  

Legolas placed a hand over the panel and a female voice said, 

“Thank you for your purchase, Legolas Greenleaf, have a nice day.” and he took his biodegradable cup of coffee and took a sip.  

As he turned around to continue with his day. Someone bumped into him, spilling a bit of that coffee into his shirt. But since it was impermeable, he just brushed it off. 

“Oh! I am so sorry!” said a short young man with a scruffy looking beard. “Wait... I know you.” his green eyes sparkled with wonder and something else. 

“I highly doubt it, not if you’ll excuse me.” 

But the short man wasn’t giving up.  

“Yesterday —well, I mean  _my_  yesterday,” he snorted to himself and Legolas looked at him oddly. “I saw you crying and you called my name.”  

Legolas stopped. “Excuse me? Yesterday I was with my father—wait, I don’t have to explain anything to you. If you hit your head, there is a place where people can go and get better.” 

“But you called my name! The least you could do is tell me yours,” 

“I have to do no such thing.” Legolas kept walking, he looked at his holographic wrist watch and realized he was late.  

The young dwarf, who looked to be in his early twenties in human years, walked faster. 

“I believe it was the year 2019? I accidentally I saw you.” Legolas looked at him weirdly, yet again. 

“Dwarves don’t live past three hundred years. Go get some help, kid.” 

“Ok, ok, wait here.” Legolas looked at the dwarf and suddenly he was gone. 

Legolas let out a yelp and almost dropped his coffee. What in Eru’s name just happened? 

Then as suddenly as he disappeared, he came back, startling Legolas. 

“I went to 1981 and you definitely knew me. You even...” the kid blushed. “kissed me in the lips.” 

“Excuse me!” 

“I don’t understand either! Look,” Gimli took a photo from his back pocket and there they were. Gimli awkwardly smiling with Legolas in a hug. Behind the photo it said, 

 _With my darling Gimli,_  

 _xoxo Legolas._  

“This is impossible...” 

“I knew what I felt about you in the forest was real.” Gimli’s eyes kept sparkling.  

“Are you a... time traveler?” Gimli nodded. 

“You are a hazard. Why don’t you go back to that Legolas and leave me alone?” 

“He told me that he was already waiting for his Gimli so I came back to you.” that made Legolas blush for some odd and crazy reason. There was no reason to be feeling this way. Maybe he should check his head too.  

“I... I have to go,”  

“Wait!” Gimli grabbed Legolas’ hand and Legolas felt his heart burst and saw in his mind a shadow of a man. “Oh, my gods! Did I hurt you? I didn’t mean to!” 

Tears rolled down Legolas’ face and he didn’t know why. Why was he crying? They just kept pouring and pouring as if they were finally free after many years of being locked up.  

“Gimli...” Legolas whispered. “Gimli...” the name kept coming out. 

The more Legolas said his name, the more Gimli felt self-conscious.  

“Umm... yes?” 

“I am sorry...” Legolas looked at Gimli, who now didn’t know what was happening. “Forgive me...” his chest was tight and he could barely breathe. 

“Legolas, I don’t know what happened but sit down,” there was a floating bench and both of them sat down. 

“You were right... I forgot you.” Gimli wasn’t sure what was happening. “But I promise you it won’t ever happen again.” 

All his memories of Gimli—all of those he was repressing came back in a wave and it was overwhelming. His hands went to Gimli’s face and he studied him, his eyes still soaking in tears. It has been a thousand years since he saw him and now, he has him back... younger than he expected but he was back. 

So, Gimli fell in love with Legolas while Legolas was grieving Gimli... what a complicated way of doing so. But this time Legolas was not going to let him go so easily.  

He is going to take back all those years without him. 

They were going to beat time.  

 

 


End file.
